Smooth Jazz
by TornAngelWings
Summary: Tsuna/Uni. 2701. "Next time, she was going to be the first to kiss him." Written for kniightly on Twitter. Gift!fic.


Silver white smoke snaked around the worn Cyprus tables in delicate ringlettes broken by the slightest of movements. Her own soft, shuddering breath shattered one curl that floated past, breaking a whole chain of hazy smoke as if it hasn't existed in the first place.

"Gamma," she squeaked softly, focusing her robin egg-blue eyes watery from the haze on her bodyguard whose tall form leaned against the mahogany billiards table. She could just make out the crystal glass in his hand and the amber liquid that burned there. "Gamma, why are we here?" Not even her foresight could point her as to why.

The figure's shoulders rose and fell heavily with a sigh. "Princess," he drawled, taking what appeared to be another lazy sip of his whiskey, "if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." Uni knew his eyes were sparkling in amusement despite his serious tone.

Uni shifted her boot-clad legs with a huff. She trusted Gamma with her life, but it still made her impatient not to know what was going to happen.

Luckily she did not have to wait much longer. The dim, hazy bar's silence was broken by the creak of door hinges and a beam of light on the floor. The ray grew in sixe as the heavy old door shuttered on its hinges. Uni's eyes were too used to the low lights to stare directly at the hot sunlight, but she heard two sets of footfalls; one heavy and authoritative, the other softer but just as distinct. _You can tell a lot about someone by the way they walk, _Uni mused, her eyes focused on a river of grey smoke swirling around the legs of her chair. The stream faded when dark loafers came into her line of sight. She raised her head, instantly recognizing a familiar black fedora lined with a bright yellow ribbon. "Uncle Reborn!"

Uni smiled in delight as her beloved "uncle" wrapped his arms around her and dragged her into his embrace. "Hello, Uni." Dark eyes glinted from under the rim of his trademark hat as the famous hitman grinned at the petite mafia boss in his arms. "It is nice to see you. You look more and more like your grandmother every time I see you," he remarked, tone marked with fondness. Uni visibly brightened, her smile just as fond as his tone, weighted by the knowledge that Reborn had been in love with the first Sky Arcobaleno, Luce. It warmed her to know his comments were not just pleasantries exchanged by old friends.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Reborn tugged on his thin, curled sideburns. "Of course, checking in on you was not my sole reason for this visit. In fact, this stop wasn't my idea at all." Uni's brows wrinkled in mild confusion before she registered the silhouette beside Reborn.

Tsunayoshi Sawada, the extraordinary, completely average, and beloved tenth boss of the Vongola stood beside Reborn. The pleasant future he and Uni had fought to create out of a less-than-pleasant future years ago had wonderful effects on him. No longer were his warm brown eyes surrounded by ominous dark worry lines, but the subtle creases of laugh lines were forming in their wake. Fighting the cruel Byakuran in a parallel future did save the beloved family after all. His earth-toned hair was longer than Uni remembered him wearing it during his middle-school days. Despite her own family, the Giglio Nero, being closely allied with the famous Vongola, she hadn't seen him in years.

"S-Sawada-san!" Her eyes rounded.

"Uni-chan, please. Just 'Tsuna.'" His voice was no longer caked with lingering childhood, but it swelled and warmed her entire body. This was no longer the child that only a few years ago that was so desperately trying to outrun his destiny of inheriting the Vongola, but a man—no, a mafia don of the highest prestige. A wave of untold gratitude toward the changed Gesso boss Byakuran and all of the families who fought to end the Arcobaleno curse and free her from her fate of dying young washed over her. She didn't want to miss seeing Tsuna grown and happy finally. This feeling of complete warm must have been what her grandmother felt towards Uncle Reborn, and Uni's mother Aria towards Gamma—whose eyes were trained on Uni and the Vongola Decimo currently.

"It is nice to see you, Tsuna." She smiled sincerely as she adjusted her large white hat.

"You too, Uni-chan. I was hoping we could sit in one of those corner booths and catch up." He gestured with a sweep of his Vongola ring-adorned hand to the secluded side of the smoky billiards hall. Uni noted the room filling up and recognized most of the faces despite the perpetual haze.

Tsuna's storm guardian and right-hand man, the half-Italian with the parted hair that reminded Uni of an octopus' arms, was mincing words with Gamma lowly. He had matured from being the loud, rude, and headstrong boy Uni had met years ago. The lanky form against the wall a few yards away must have been the rain guardian with wicked sword techniques and an even deadlier batting average. She imagined the cow-suit child who carried the lightning ring must have grew up and changed, too. By now he must be a teenager, old enough to guard the entrance to the bar. She didn't see the boisterous sun guardian's "turf-top" hair cut among the throng of people, so she assumed he was outside as well. Uni imagined a mercury-eyed cloud guardian patrolled a few blocks away; he was never one to be seen with the crowd unless completely necessary. In the opposite direction would be the two mist guardians. She had been fond of the one-eyed, indigo-haired female Chrome, but Uni had never come into direct contact with the heterochromatic, azure-haired male who once kept Chrome alive through the illusionary organs. Hayato Gokudera, Takeshi Yamamoto, Lambo Bovino, Ryohei Sasawaga, Kyoya Hibari, Chrome Dokuro, and Mukuro Rodoku—the young woman recalled their names with ease.

Uni slipped out of her chair, more than willing to slip into the quiet, isolated booth in the corner with Tsuna.

She too had grown. No longer was she the little girl whom Tsuna had to protect, but a petite woman who aged normally now that the Arcobaleno curse had been lifted. She had not grown much in stature, but at least the veil connected to her floppy hat only reached just a hair past her bottom. Instead of the two-piece top-and-shorts combo she wore during her youth, the Giglio Nero boss dawned a one-piece jumped with a platinum zipper down the front that shone in the low flickering flights of the bar. Her boots were not the same pair as the ones from years ago, but they still concealed her shins and ended well above her knobby knees. The white robe that accompanied her headdress was slipping off a bony shoulder, but Uni paid it no mind. She slid into the comfortable leather both, waiting for the Vongola boss to slide in across from her.

"What did you wish to speak about, Tsuna?" His name felt weird on her tongue. Politely, she folded her hands on the cool tabletop.

"I just wanted to get re-acquainted. It's about time, don't you think so?" His smile was soft and sincere and echoed in his eyes, so get re-acquainted they did.

They must have talked for hours. There wasn't anything the pair didn't talk about in that tiny booth surrounded by fog and smooth jazz that had started playing sometime during their conversation. "How are Kyoko-chan and Haru-chan?" Uni asked, recalling their sweet faces and fond memories of Tsuna's crush and his chocolate-haired admirer. Both girls had been so accommodating during her stay, she reminisced.

"Kyoko and Takeshi," how weird to hear first names without honorifics fall from the once-shy boy's lips, "and Haru and Hayato were married last June. The girls left to study abroad in America." Tsuna responded smoothly, his eyes gleaming gently. "Takeshi and Hayato miss them much, as do I."

"Four married couples," Uni congratulated with a smile, "Kyoko-chan and Takeshi-san, Haru-chan and Hayato-san, Hana-san and Ryohei-san, and Chrome-chan and Mukuro-san! You must be so proud."

"I am. Lambo's been courting I-Pin, and I have my suspicions about Kyoya, too. I think he fond someone, though it's hard to be sure. He's very private about his personal life." Tsuna's tone warmed with fondness for his friends-turned-family.

Uni couldn't help a mischievous giggle. "What about you, Tsuna? Any potential love interests?" Much to her amusement, the composed boss' cheeks colored.

"Maybe." He dropped the subject quickly.

Their conversation lulled when Reborn sashayed by with a beautiful, magenta-haired woman Uni recognized to be the "Poison Scorpion" Bianchi. Her uncle spun the hitwoman and under dim lights rhythmically and guided her across the floor. Reborn was obviously well-schooled in swing dancing because he was putting on quite the show. Although it caused her eyes to water, the smoky dance floor and mahogany pool tables made the perfect backdrop for a cliché-ly dressed hitman to swing a pretty woman back and fourth. Uni found herself laughing many times out-loud, especially when Tsuna joined in. She was glad Gamma had arranged all of this.

Sadly, the gathering did have to end. Tsuna was the last Vongola to leave, but he left more than just empty glasses and burnt-out cigarettes behind. Her lips still tingled from his against hers. The kiss had been brief, but full of promises. She could taste the smoke from the atmosphere and the citrus from the juice Tsuna had sipped during their conversation on her tongue. Her fingertips pressed the soft flesh softly in wonderment.

This gathering needed an encore, Uni decided. Next time, she'd include all of her family, the Vongola, the Gesso…maybe the Shimon, Cavallone, and Varia, too. Next time she and Tsuna were going to sit that booth again and talk the night away. Next time, she would kiss him first.

And so it was done.


End file.
